Twin Halves
by Detinc
Summary: What if Micah did not come alone when he arrived in Sharance? Alongside his twin brother Thion, they uncover the secrets of the small town, its residents, the Sharance Tree, and themselves! Micah X Harem, OC-Twin X Harem; because I can't stand having them be paired with just one out of over ten interesting girls! And I love the havoc from managing a harem!
1. Chapter 1

Author Note:

Hello everyone in Fanficdom! I am Hez, a not so new "resident" here, but this is the first time I am publishing to the already impressive amounts of stories here. I have been a huge fan of role-play games (RPGs; The Elder Scrolls, Legend of Zelda, etc.) and slices of life, like Harvest Moon. It is so fun to play these games, and my favorite series (next to Kingdom Hearts,) is _Rune Factory: A Fantasy Harvest Moon_. I am basing my publication on _Rune Factory 3_, as I have found the concept of half humans or monsters interesting. "Halves," as I like to call them, hold a special position in books and history. They deal with prejudice, racism, conflicting instincts and behaviors, looks, the whole works. That is why I am so interested in them, and somewhat pity them.

This fanfiction, _Twin Halves_, is almost like the normal Rune Factory 3 storyline, with the added element of an OC (Original Character) placed as Micah's twin brother, and the fact that there's going to be harems. One for Micah and another for his OC twin Thion. Oh, and Pia's OC twin Cria will be here. Now mind you, if you are going to, ahem, _bitch_, about the harems, deal with it. If you are going to flame me, please question if it is really worth your time. I _really_ hate to have somebody write a review that has nothing helpful and therefore has wasted seconds of their life that they'll never see again. If you write a bad review, explain why my story does not satisfy you. Anyways, you are probably tired of this author note and want the real deal.

_**I don't own Rune Factory**_, Why would I claim it when I don't need, nor want, to run the company or idea? Or when I can create my own game?

I only own Thion and Cria, my beloved OCs. _**Please, you may use them, but don't claim them as your own!**_

* * *

Chapter One

The morning air was crisp and dense as it settled over the village, being left over from the previous night's storm. The slight fog was pierced by the sun, just peaking over the coast to the west of Oddward Valley, and lit up the dew laden vegetation like scattered diamond dust. To the north of the village, near the path to Vale River, a magnificently humongous oak tree had its huge lofty boughs glittering with morning dew and peaking sunlight. To a path just south of the behemoth tree, a small collection of shops were built. One of these businesses was a bit more colorful than the other two stationed left and right of it. A large assortment of well-tended flowers surrounded it, catching the eye with their varying colors. It also was a dead giveaway to what the shop specialized in. Whether or not this was done to attract business to this establishment was never known to any bar those residing in and running the shop. Inside, one would see that the shop almost takes up the whole first floor. Two double-sided rows of shelved flora ran perpendicular to each other, one vertical and to the left of the front door, another horizontal and to the right of the door. Two counters took the back corners. One had tall shelves placed against the wall behind it, with a cash register on top. The other, in the opposite corner, had a seemingly random assortment of items spread across it. The only trait common with most of these items was that they centered on flowers. Between the two counters was an opening that revealed a staircase when one looked to their left. In the second floor of the building, a hall led to a living area and branched off to two rooms. The second room had a soft faced old man snoring quietly in a bed, with a well-worn watering can placed on the nightstand by his bed. The first room held two teenage girls, both with calm faces as they slept. They would seem to be twins if one did not know any better, with their near identical faces and sable hair color. But one was obviously a year older than her look-alike, and had grown her hair out longer than the other.

This small family ran the shop with amazing success. They all possess a startling skill with plants, especially flowers. They were a happy family, with both girls being of being in a full relationship, and the grandfather feeling successful with how he raised them.

Shara woke up as her internal clock made her eyes snap open, revealing stunning blue eyes that fluttered a couple times afterwards. She reluctantly threw off her covers, revealing her night dress and bare skin to the chilled air. The wood creaked as she pushed off the mattress, walking towards a wardrobe for her day clothes. After getting dressed, she faced a mirror near the door leading out of the room. Her reflection stared back. A soft moan from Monica snagged her attention, as she watched her sister repeat the same process Shara jut performed, sans mirror peaking.

"Are you ready Monica?"

"Yeah," Monica replied groggily, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes. Her hair was a bit redder than her older sister's, but their eyes and faces were nearly identical. Shara walked to a chest in a corner of the bedroom. Within it, she dug out two tin watering cans. One was decorated with flowers, the other was not. Shara handed her sister the undecorated can while she kept the other. Both of them then walked downstairs.

"Some storm, right?" Shara commented when she went out the front door.

"It was terrifying," Monica agreed.

"What? Don't tell me you are still scared of lighting and thunder?" Shara teased. The younger sister grumbled at her, wondering how the heck the older sibling could sleep through the loud booms and heavy pounding of rain. They continued on, marveling at the glittering dew that the storm produced with the morning sun. Walking south, they traversed a path leading to Privera Forest, and turned right at a clearing. Past a colorful and out-of-place house, they went down another path west of the first.

The siblings stopped at another clearing on the edge of a cliff. This was their destination; a field of flowers that ranged in varying colors, even the retreating fog did nothing to mar the beauty of this floral gemstone. But Shara and Monica did not stop to admire the flowers, but the two bodies _lying_ in the clearing's center.

One of them looked like a Wooly, but had gold fur while sporting a scarf and hat. The other was a wolf with the same gold color as the wooly, but was sporting several white tipped tails and was smaller than the average wolf. They seemed to be unconscious and injured, with the wolf laying like it was protecting the wooly. The two sisters stared at the strange monsters until Shara ran over, dropping her watering can to pick up the two.

"What are you doing!?" Monica hissed, surprised at her older sister's actions.

"I am trying to help them; they obviously won't last long in their current condition!" Shara answered. "I have no prejudice against monsters, and I won't hate you for not helping," She continued.

"But Grandpa will,"

"I will take responsibility for them," Shara cut off her sister. Monica huffed, but gave in and hefted the golden wolf.

"Fine, I'll help then."

Grandpa Wells was a kindly old man; soft-faced, understanding, and very wise. While intellectually he is not as sharp as his grandkids, Wells still can keep up with some quick wit. It is a requirement for his job as the mayor of Sharance. He has a bent back from years of yard work, and is often seen with his trusty watering can while tending to the flowers. He proudly raised his two granddaughters ever since their parents disappeared, being presumed dead. Many suspected the Univir from the settlement in the Sol Terrano Desert, but it was against their beliefs to accuse others unless they were rightfully proven so with evidence. Therefore no one acted upon their suspicions. While old Wells had suspicions of the Univir playing a part in the disappearance in Shara and Monica's parents, he could not bring himself to complete prejudice against monsters and the like. He only just tolerates them, barely.

Imagine his surprise when his two granddaughters burst into the shop with two unconscious monsters.

"Hold it there young ladies!"

Both siblings stopped in their tracks, and looked at Wells with guilt and worry: They both knew that their grandpa does not like stray monsters in the house.

"Why, may I ask, are you two bringing monsters?" He questioned them sternly.

Monica gulped, and looked at Shara, who seemed to compose herself before their elder's gaze.

"Why must I have a reason to help anyone, monster or otherwise?" Shara responded, trying her hardest to not break eye contact with Grandpa Wells. She could feel her forehead perspire against the man's stare.

Wells stared at Shara sternly, then at the two golden monsters. Then he softened his face and said, "As long as you two take responsibility, I will allow it."

Both siblings were shocked at their grandpa's acceptance, staring wide-eyed at him before snapping out of their stupor. They hurried upstairs, preparing their beds to lay the wooly and wolf on. Shara and Monica then began to bandage the injuries and cast small healing spells they learned from the old witch Marjorie. They worked hard, and before long, they managed to mend the injured monsters.

Both sisters were worn out from casting so many healing spells, sometimes both of them working on the same wound, like a broken bone. They made good time however; it was now noon, almost time for lunch at Blaise's restaurant.

"Come on Monica; let's leave them here for now. I am getting hungry."

* * *

That night, the two siblings slept on their respective beds with the golden monsters, as there was nowhere else to go. With full stomachs and pure thoughts they dreamed peacefully, not expecting what tomorrow will bring.

Shara slowly walked down the stairs with Monica behind her, both fully dressed and carrying their individual watering cans. Grandpa Wells was up earlier than them, and was holding his watering can as well.

"You're up early Gramps," Shara commented.

"I would like to visit the flower field with you two, as this old man can do with some exercise," Mayor Wells answered.

"What about the monsters upstairs? Are you sure they won't cause any trouble while we're gone?" Shara asked her grandfather. She is afraid that their charges may regain conscious and panic from waking up in a foreign place. The consequences could be disastrous.

"Those two are both out cold I believe," Wells assured, looking up at the ceiling that made up the sibling's bedroom floor. Shara and Monica looked at each other, let out a sigh, and nodded.

"Okay then, let's go."

They left out the front door and were on their way, admiring the sun rise and the rich greenery as they headed for Privera Forest. They followed the path's southward direction before turning west, past Daria's house, towards the flower field. As the siblings and their grandparent broke the tree line, they stopped in awe.

No matter how many times they see it, the field still struck their hearts with its iridescent coloring. Daisies, poppies, daffodils, and many other flowers grew here, and flourished under the supernatural green thumb of Shara's family.

Snapping out of their trance, Shara, Monica, and Wells got to work. They all began to weed, water, and remove rocks from the area. Working hard, they removed leaves, pinecones, and rocks from the flowers.

Monica was picking up twigs when a glint caught her eye. Looking down, she saw some golden strands on the sky blue petals of a flower. Kneeling down, she delicately plucked the strands from the petals, careful that she doesn't harm the flower in the process. She held her findings at eye level, realizing that the pieces she spot was golden _fur_. Twisting her head left and right, she realized three discoveries: The blue flower was a flower she does not recognized, it was in the exact center of a patch of poppies, and this was the spot she and Shara found the two monsters from yesterday.

Standing up, Monica looked back at the strands of fur pinched between her fingers. She stared at them, as if she was picking out the individual particles that made it. So deep in her trance she was, she never noticed Shara approaching her. Monica jumped with fright when Shara broke through with a question.

"What are you looking at?"

Monica looked up at her older sister, then took one of the pieces of fur and held it out to Shara. Shara raised an eyebrow, and then took the strand between her fingers.

"Is this fur from one of the monsters at home?"

"I think so."

Both of them stared at the strands for a bit, and then Shara tucked it into her pocket. Monica still held hers out, staring at it longer. Her eyes widened when the strands in her hand began to glow. It seemed to melt in her hand, then reform into the shape of a golden wolf howling in a sitting position. She only grew more suspicious at the inkling that someone was waking up.

She shook her head, deciding that a nap would do her good. Stating her intention to Shara and Wells, she began the trek back to their house. Sunlight dappled the path through the canopy of Privera Forest, revealing birds pecking the edges of the trail for their breakfast of seeds and insects. Monica continued back to Sharance, jumping a bit from a loud, ecstatic shout:

"Rainbow!"

Monica shook her head, and chuckled at Daria's unusual catchphrase as she passed the strange artist's house. She stopped at the tingling sensation in the back of her mind; it felt curious and confused. Monica immediately began to run; the surrounding greenery was a blur as she raced north towards the shop.

* * *

Thion's mind slowly woke from its sluggish state, bringing him from the edge of sleep. He snapped his eyes open at the feeling of a soft mattress beneath him. Confused, he looked around; where was he? Wait, where was he before?

_Why can't I remember anything?_

He then saw another boy in a separate mattress next to him, sleeping with soft snores. Thion kicked off the covers, and walked towards the other boy. He had golden locks that were a bit mussed from sleeping. The boy was familiar to Thion, but he could not remember anything before he heard a door close below him. Footsteps quickly approached stairs he saw through the open door of the bedroom. A teenager, about fifteen to Thion, with strawberry colored hair popped up from the first floor, and began to approach the room. She stopped when she noticed Thion was awake. Noticing the empty bed, she began to look worried.

"What is it?" He asked, curious as to why he felt fear emit from her.

"Grab your companion! Hurry! I need to get you out of here before my sister and grandpa get back!"

Thion ran out of the house with the other boy over his shoulder, the girl not far behind.

"Go to the big tree north of here, I'll tell you what is going on later," she directed him, pointing towards a large tree nearby that towered over the surrounding area.

"Got it!" he shouted as he took off towards the tree. The path was not too long, and when he got closer, he saw a staircase lead up to the trunk of the unusual tree. At either side of the stairs leading up, he saw roots from the tree forming two archways. He stared in awe of the magnificent behemoth, snapping out of his trance when two pairs of footsteps came from the path he just came from. Twisting around, he spots the girl from earlier with another, older female. The new girl looked like an older, more mature copy of the younger.

"I see you made it," the younger girl said.

Thion nodded, "It was not too hard to find."

"That's good. Anyways, I am Monica, this is my older sister Shara," Monica introduced, indicating Shara with a wave of her hand.

"I am Thion, this is—"

"I am Micah, now put me down! I am awake!" Micah exclaimed from his position on Thion's shoulder, lifting his head up to look at the girls. Thion dropped him ungracefully.

"Oof!"

* * *

A/N: Whelp, hope you all like it! My beta reader says that it was a bit choppy. I agree, but I will get better, and the chapters will always be at least two thousand words, if not more. I write fan fiction for a total of one hour each day, sometimes even more. I'll try to keep a consistent update of every weekend, mostly Saturday afternoon, US Pacific Coastal time. But I can not make a promise to that, as life is sporadic and I don't want to make a false promise to my readers.

One more thing; I will not abandon my work! I know how it feels to be let down like that! While some people may have a good reason for it, all the excuses that basically say "Don't feel like writing" is bullshit. Pardon my diction, but I can not find any other alternative that expresses how strongly I feel for authors that quit because they're lazy.

Anyways, Jyamata! (See you later!)


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note:

Hello everyone! Hope you all are having a great week and a greater weekend! I always write at least an hour each day, and I keep track of it: I have a logbook to record when I start, and when I end. I also keep track of how many hours ahead I am; I know if I am missing hours, and when I am ahead.

A special thanks to the readers _Zer000 _and _Alphex_, who are showing their great interest in my story! Thanks guys, it means a lot!

I do not own Natsume, who made Rune Factory and Harvest Moon, along with anything produced by them. Nor do I wish to. Why? It is too much paperwork, for now. But I do own ALL of the OC's (original characters) that appear in the story, so nyah!

* * *

Thion and Micah never expected for the Sharance Tree to be a house as Shara, Monica and another girl, Raven, led them up. Raven arrived shortly after Shara and Monica met up with the twins. It appears that she became curious of the town's new inhabitants. They walked through the door at the top of the stairs, and the newcomers were awestruck at the interior.

The Sharance Tree was a literal tree house, housing two beds, a kitchen, and two ladders leading down to floors below them.

"Was this made by humans? That should be impossible, because the tree would die from such work!" Micah inquired. "Maybe the tree is special," Thion replied, still examining the interior of the house.

"No one knows the true origins of the Sharance Tree, and it has been a long time since anyone has lived in it, or when it last bloomed," Shara explained. "How come everything is still tidy and dusted if no one lived in here for a while?" Micah asked. This time Monica answered, "Shara and I occasionally tidy this place up, just in case." Shara perked up, "Oh yeah! Thion, why don't you and Micah stay here, Grandpa Wells wouldn't mind!"

Monica nodded her head in agreement, Raven just shrugged. Micah was about to deny their offer, but Thion cut him off, "Thank you, but me and Micah cannot take this from you without compensation."

"That is okay, you two can work on the fields and farm!" Shara replied, "The fields are beneath that ladder," She indicated to an opening just to the left of the door, a ladder poking out of it. "Come on, we'll show you!"

"When you are plowing the field, swing down with the hoe, and pull towards you," Shara tutored. Thion and Micah had agreed to become farmers in exchange for living in the Sharance Tree, hence the lessons. Monica then handed them watering cans and two bags of Toyherb flower seeds. Taking the attention from her sister Monica continued, "Sprinkle the seeds in the area you just plowed, and then water it. The water sources are by the ladder and at the entrances leading out by the front stairs," Both of the farmers-to-be followed along and watered the seeds they just sprinkled. Raven just watched the group of four with calculating eyes. "Now you two," Monica never got any farther before Thion quickly shoved her aside and deflected a blow with his hoe. The attacker was a humanoid covered in rags and had sickly blue skin. The orc snarled at Thion and began to push harder with its club. The blonde grunted before he gained a glint in his eyes.

"Yaaaaa!" With a loud shout, Thion shoved the orc back. It never got to recover before Thion swung the hoe around and hit its side with the blade. The attack launched the orc into the air with a _whoosh_ and it disappeared with a flash. Not minding the mysterious exit of his opponent, Thion turned back to see Micah fighting _two_ orcs. He was obviously having trouble, trying to make sure he can see them both without moving away from the girls. Thion rushed an orc flanking Micah's left. He jumped into the air and caved in the orc's head with a solid down swing from the hoe. Another flash of light made the monster disappear. He looked up to see Micah finishing off the last orc, who ended with a flashy exit.

"What the hell was that!?" Thion yelled, to no one in particular. "I find it highly unusual as well," Monica commented, looking around the field. "Well, at least they were easy, right Thion?" Micah asked. Thion smacked his palm against his forehead; "If you haven't noticed, Micah, there are _six_ more just in the tree line you dunce!"

He was right; a couple of bushes were shoved aside to reveal half o' dozen more orcs. They were mad that they were taken so lightly. Micah and Thion brought their hoes up to bear, and grimaced at their situation. Monica took a look around and noticed something off:

"Where's Raven?"

* * *

Raven ran as fast as she can south, heading towards her and her brother's smithy shop. Gaius was a dwa – no, _man_ of the hammer, practically forging metal objects day and night nonstop. At least until he let's go of his hammer, or he runs out of ore. Some may say that he is a master smith, but Gaius humbly denies such skill. Raven ran past the flower shop, towards a shop with a sign imprinted with an anvil. Bursting through the door, she continued into the smithy. Her brother was hammering a sword blank, before noticing his sister.

"Whoa sis, ate too much of Blain's cakes?" he joked, "Monsters, attacking, Sharance Tree, fields," Raven gasped, trying to release an air bubble in her lungs. Gaius narrowed his eyes before grabbing a short sword and a pair of dual blades. He dashed out the door, blades in one hand, and hammer in the other. Raven shortly followed, though at a more tired pace. She hoped everyone was alright, although she was more worried about _Thion,_ to her surprise.

* * *

Thion and Micah were panting, tired from their forced defense. Shara and Monica have retreated a ways away; they dare not use any magic in fear of attracting attention. Both of the boys' were covered in cuts, bruises, and sweat. There were too many enemies to take down with just hoes, which are not the best weapons.

"Take these you two!" a new voice shouted. The blonde duo caught the objects thrown; Thion received two blades, Micah clasped a short sword. Thion whirled around with the blades and cut two orcs sneaking behind him. Micah dashed forward and impaled another orc. Soon Thion and Micah turned the tide against their assailants, not ceasing their impressive retaliation until each orc vanished in a flash.

Gaius approached the two, a winded Raven following him; "I'm impressed. If I didn't know any better, I would say that you two are professionally trained, right?" Both Thion and Micah looked at each other. "Really? It just felt…natural," "Yeah…"

"Wait, you two have amnesia?" Gaius inquired, his gaze was filled with worry. "Yeah…" Micah repeated, scratching the back of his neck in a nervous fashion, "The day is late, Micah, We should get ready for some sack-hitting." Everybody nodded, and headed off to their respective homes.

Both Micah and Thion fell asleep after they lay their heads on the cotton pillows of their beds. They wandered the knife's edge of their blank minds in their dreams, dancing on the precipice of imagination.

* * *

Micah leapt from his bed with impeccable energy, and proceeded down the ladder leading to the fields. Thion, however, lay still under the covers, contemplating the dream he had that night:

_Thion stood outside the flower shop, looking up at the girl's bedroom window. He then saw himself inside the room, looking at Monica in a simple, thin nightgown. Thion blushed; the gown left a very faint silhouette of a young teen's body from a lit lantern on the bedside stand. She was examining something held in her palm, holding to the soft light with a curious expression on her face. Thion looked over her shoulder and saw a golden wolf amulet charm. It seemed to be howling to the sky while sitting. He snorted at the stereotypical pose of the wolf; whoever made the charm had skill, and could have shaped the wolf into a more original pose._

_Monica whirled around suddenly, catching Thion by surprise. By reflex he jumped back, only to see the younger sister look wildly around the room. She mumbled something about paranoia, before slipping the wolf amulet onto her neck and crawling into bed._

Although the amulet did attract his attention, he put it off as nothing to worry about. Tossing off the covers, Thion pulled his boots on and took out his farming equipment. He headed down the ladder towards the field. Micah was already hard at work, watering the area they had sowed with the Toyherb seeds yesterday. Thion watched his look-alike for a little longer before deciding to cruelly ruin Micah's morning high of energy. He shot his arm out as Micah passed him, effectively clotheslining the energetic yellow-topped blur.

Micah let out a hack as his neck hit Thion's arm and landed on the dirt path bisecting the fields. "Good morning Micah, where's my coffee?" Thion stoically greeted. "Asshole, we don't have any…coffee? What's that?" Micah questioned, looking at the other boy with a puzzled expression. "How do you not know about coffee?" Thion asked in a surprised voice.

"The same way we have amnesia, more or less."

"Ah."

With the sown seeds watered, Thion and Micah went down to the village to learn more about their new home. The sun touched the path with feathery fingers, rising through the blue sky with imperceptive slowness. When they got there, they headed towards the flower shop. Thion remembered that he and Micah recovered here for a day before Monica got them out and into the Sharance Tree. He wondered what she was going to explain to them.

A bell connected to the door rung as they walked in, causing a certain older sister to snap her head in their direction. She recognized the two blondes and gave them a smile, "Nice to see you two up and about."

"Same to you," Micah replied back with a smirk. Shara blushed a bit, but Micah missed it. Thion was chatting away with Wells, learning about different plants and tips for crop care. Thion however caught Shara's blush, but did not bring it up. A yelp came from above as a blur of red fell down the stairs. Monica could not stop herself, and saw the floor rush towards her. She braced herself for the coming impact, but did not feel the pain she expected to. She opened her eyes and saw an arm wrapped around her torso. Looking up, she made eye contact with Thion's blue irises. For a stunned second, he just held her, having no idea on how he moved so fast to catch her. The golden wolf amulet from his dream last night hung around her neck, swinging like a pendulum. She quickly separated from him, blushing deeper than Shara earlier.

"Thanks," stuttered Monica, avoiding eye contact with those blue orbs. "…Don't mention it," excused Thion, looking towards Shara. "I was wondering if one of you can show me and Micah around, introduce us to the rest of the village," he asked. Shara put on a worried face, "I can't; I have to watch the shop. Oh, Monica! You can do it!"

"What?!" exclaimed Monica, but bit her tongue when Shara got a glint in her eyes. "Ah, right, okay then, let's go!" she said cheerfully, tugging Thion and Micah outside enthusiastically. Shara looked after them until they vanished out the door before examining her beating heart.

_Why am I so drawn towards Micah?_

Monica stopped in front of a billboard outside the shop, letting go of the two blondes' hands. "This is the request board; when people need something done, they post the problem here. If you complete the request, you can get rewarded, got that?" Micah and Thion nodded.

"Okay then, here is a request from me: Go around town and introduce yourselves! Everybody is very friendly, and we all help each other out!" She said before grabbing Thion's hand and speeding off, leaving Micah in the dust.

"M'kay then, I guess I'll check out this house here…" Micah said to no one in particular as he headed to the building to the left of the shop.

* * *

Monica dragged Thion by the hand over to the lake beach. The high noon sun reflected off the water beautifully, the ripples deflecting the rays (Lens-flare Biotch!). The sand felt silky under their shoes as they stood there.

"Why did you drag me all the way here?" Thion questioned with a raised eyebrow. Monica looked him in the eye, and replied, "How did you turn into a human?" Thion stared at her like she grew wolf ears, making her feel flustered. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that yesterday, you were a golden wolf. Now you're a human; how did you do that?" she interrogated critically. Thion tapped his temple; "I am an amnesiac, remember?" he replied. "You could be lying," Monica rebutted, eyeing Thion critically.

They both stared at each other, neither one of them moving a nanometer (which would be impossible, considering a shit load of scientific proof). Finally, Monica lost the undeclared staring contest. She reached around her neck and pulled out the golden wolf amulet Thion dreamed of last night. "I got this necklace when a couple of hairs from your fur merged together. Since then, I felt connected…" she paused, and then blushed, "…to you…"

"Well then, it explains my dream last night."

"W-what?!" She stuttered, looking at me oddly. "I saw you examining the amulet, and then you looked directly at me, as if you could have seen me." They stared at each other some more, before they both blushed and looked away. "Any ways, I am going to introduce myself to everyone, and make sure you don't let it slip that me and Micah are… monsters…" Thion stated before heading towards the smithy.

* * *

Raven stood at the counter stiffly, waiting for customers. Her brother, Gaius, hammered away at a glowing strip of iron metal. With each hammer strike, the iron took a more familiar shape, becoming a sword. It was a boring Tuesday compared to the previous Monday. Raven's thoughts started to wander on the subject, slowly focusing on a certain blonde individual. Thion: His eyes were a calm blue that held experience beyond his years, amnesia or not. She could almost imagine him as some sort of wolf; fierce, strong, focused. Raven felt a strange shiver wrack her spine as she thought of her and Thion. She shook her head violently, trying to get rid of the image as quickly as possible.

_I can never be with him. I can never be with anyone…_

Speak of the devil and he shall come; Thion walked in. He eyed the equipment on the walls, occasionally picking up a sword and holding the edge at eye level. He put it back on the shelf and browsed some more. Raven watched him pick out the various pieces of equipment, growing nervous with his presence each passing second. Finally, she could not take it any longer; Raven need to get him out!

"I detest browsers." She snapped.

"I am sure that is not the reason you are irritated," Thion shot back, the proverbial bullet causing her to flinch. Her façade dropped, but only for a fraction of a second. A fraction of time he took advantage of:

"Your façade and eyes are so cold; anyone else would have been deterred. But you…you are afraid. Afraid of a secret betraying its definition?" Thion turned his body to fully face her, seeing that he caught Raven in the net, and she was flailing like a fish. His attitude was curious, strict, but understanding. Thion seemed to contemplate the mixture of emotions in Raven's eyes.

"You have your secrets, like anybody else. I have several guesses as to what it is, but I respect everybody's right of privacy; I will not do anything to disclose your secret." He turned back around, contemplating the equipment once again before picking up some armor.

"Can you ring this up?" Thion questioned, placing 2 pairs of arm and shin guards on the counter with two chest pieces. His attitude seemed to have reverted back to his neutral disposition from when he walked in. "S-sure," she stuttered in shock, her train of thought completely derailing and blowing up dramatically. Someone almost caused her to break down, mostly from the fact that there was someone besides Gaius who would probably understand who she is, _what_ she is.

"There! Finally done!" a voice from the forge exclaimed. Gaius walked out to the store front, holding a gleaming sword. He was sweaty from the heat in the forge, but it did not seem to bother him. Thion ran a critical eye down the blade; it looked like a blade anyone can trust not to fail. "Good job Gaius," He commented, causing the blacksmith to perk up. "Ah! I did not see you there, um…" Gaius trailed off as he tried recalling the blonde's name. "Thion," Thion reminded him with a wave of his hand. "Oh right! One of our new residents! What brings you around here?"

"I was just buying some equipment with the money I got from selling the monster loot; I never knew cheap cloth would sell for so much. Oh and Shara told me and Micah to introduce ourselves to everyone."

"Micah came by earlier, and I am guessing he was stone-walled by Raven, as I never got to see him. He might be almost done by now." Gaius replied, Raven keeping her emotionless mask on. "Alright, I might as well get going," Thion said as he approached the door. "Wait!" Gaius told Thion, who turned back to him. "What is it?" "Do you mind gathering some iron ore from Privera Forest? I am almost out…" Thion nodded, "I don't mind, but I don't have the equipment for mining," "You can have one of my spare hammers; think of it as a welcome present from me and Raven." Gaius walked back to the forge and returned with a large hammer with a worn head. Thion nodded his thanks before walking out the door.

"…Raven, he may be the one you can confide to."

"…It is too early to consider that."

* * *

Thion walked south along the path towards Privera Forest, resting the hammer he received from Gaius on his shoulder. He thought about what Monica told him, about how he and Micah were a Wolf and Wooly. Then about the origins of the amulet Monica got from him: Why did it seem so significant now? Setting these questions aside, he continued into a clearing with a very colorful house. Looking to his left, he found Mayor Wells standing outside the entrance to the Privera Forest. "Hello Wells," Thion greeted.

"Ah, Thion, hello to you too!" Wells replied back, before turning around to look at the forest. "Some people were talkin' about some raccoon stirring trouble in the forest. I was actually going to ask if you and Micah can take care of it, after Monica and Shara told me of you two's skirmish with the monsters on the farm. Can you do it?" He asked. "Maybe, let me tell Micah after I am done with my business in the forest," Thion replied, to which Wells lifted a curious eyebrow. "What sort of business?" the old mayor questioned.

"Gaius is almost out of iron ore, he asked me to head into Privera Forest to gather more."

"Ah, well be careful. The forest is dangerous if you are not properly prepared."

Thion nodded, "Thanks for the warning." Wells then walked up the path Thion came from, while the blonde looked towards the path leading deeper into the forest. Taking the new armor he bought from his pack, he strapped it on. Bending down, he took the shin guards and buckled them on, tightening the buckle in the back till he was satisfied. He repeated the process with the arm guards, which covered his fore arms. Thion was having trouble with the chest plate, as it had buckles in the back that he could not reach. He huffed in frustration, before his eyes set upon the brightly colored house.

'_Maybe whoever lives there can help me,_' he thought, approaching the purple roofed home. As Thion was about to knock on the door, a loud shout nearly floored him; "Rainbow!"

Every window on the house lit up in a flash of colors, along with a rattling boom. Thion watched the light show until it died down, and then he knocked on the door. An annoyed huff accompanied by approaching footsteps was heard through the door. A young woman about his age appeared. She had white-shocked blonde hair that went to her lower back with a French hat on top. Her clothes were splattered here and there with paint. She beamed at Thion, sending fear shivering down his spine. Her smile was eccentric and a bit insane.

"Ah! My assistant has arrived!"

"W-what?" Thion stammered and backed up a step from the art obsessed girl. She held a utensil that looked like a birch wood hammer merged with a paint brush. It too had multi-colored blotches on it. The artsy woman suddenly paused, looking up and down his body. She seemed to register the fact that his chest plate was only partially fastened on. The woman put her index finger on her chin and narrowed her eyes at him. "And the assistant looks like he is in need of assistance."

"Um…"

"Bah! An assistant should be the one assisting, not the other way around!" she lectured, dragging him inside the house. The interior was splattered with paint; red, blue, yellow, purple, green and everything in between was found on the walls. Paint splattered easels with canvas on them lined the back of the room. The girl then got to work on the chest plate, tightening the buckles that Thion could not reach. Her hands were surprisingly dexterous, buckling the straps of the armor. In a few minutes she was done. The girl took a step back, running her eyes over the chest plate.

"Um…Thank you, miss..?" Thion trailed off quizzically. "What's this? An assistant who doesn't know their employer's name? I am Daria! The greatest artist in the land!" she boasted, waving her hammer brush in Thion's face. "Nice to meet you Daria, I am Thion. My companion, Micah, and I have recently settled in at the Sharance Tree. While I will be happy to assist you, I currently am occupied with another task. Maybe another time."

"Oh! I did not realize you were busy! Well now, hurry on with your task!" Daria apologized, urging Thion out the door. He chuckled as Daria shut her door, and then turned towards Privera Forest's depths, approaching them with swords drawn.

* * *

Author's note:

Hope you all like this chapter, which is slightly longer than the last one, by around 1K words more. And please review! I love advice from other people, especially those who have large amounts of writing experience. My goal is to publish stories that please the reader, and become a better writer myself!

"_Not good-bye, but see you later!"_ –From the _"Kingdom Hearts" _franchise.

Jyamata!

-Detinc


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Mornin' everyone! I am SOOO sorry about not updating for so long! PLEASE DON'T STOP LOOKING FOR MORE UPDATES TO TWIN HALVES! I'LL NEVER ABANDON A SINGLE STORY I MADE! This is the third chapter of _Twin Halves_, and is going to focus now on Micah's exploration of the Town of Sharance! I think we all had enough of Thion to last us a while.

I don't own Natsume, their characters, merchandise, you get the idea. But I do own Thion and Pia's twin sister Cria, as well as her backstory. Do I really have to type this out for every chapter? Can't I just say one final disclaimer and be like that's that? No? Mrph…

* * *

Micah approached the shop east of Shara's flower shop as Monica dragged Thion off south towards the lake. It looked like the flower shop, but without flowers growing everywhere. Micah quickly inferred that this was another shop, then sweat-dropped at his cluelessness:

_Sharance General store_

_Open 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM_

_Closed holidays_

Inside, rows of shelves and cabinets were stocked with various assorted items; living up to being a _general store. _He browsed some nearby shelves, looking at the various crop seeds they had on sale. Micah wandered deeper inside, attracted to the many products on the shelves. But a soft snore caught his attention, coming from the other side of the aisle. He circled around the shelf he was examining to find a blue dressed girl sleeping peacefully on top of the cashier counter. Silver hair sprouted underneath a blue headdress and splayed over the surface, the smooth snores coming from a face that rested on an arm. Micah stared at the sleeping girl with a raised eyebrow, and shook her shoulder with his hand. No response. He was about to try shaking her harder before an older woman in an orange assemble grabbed the silver-locked girl on the shoulders. Lifting the young teen up, she started shaking her like a rag doll.

"Wake up Karina! You got a customer to serve you lazy daughter!" the orange-dressed mother yelled, her short blonde locks swinging with her daughter. Karina's eyes half opened in a sleepy fashion, and sought out her customer. Micah's gold eyes locked with lazy silver, and Karina pried her mother's hands off her shoulders. "'Kay…"

Karina's mother let out an exasperated sigh, and then turned to Micah. "Sorry about that, she always falls asleep. I have done all I can to try to keep her awake," the mother apologized. "T-that's alright, I was actually just browsing around…" he said, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Oh, okay. Hmm… are you new around here?" the woman asked, looking at Micah with skepticism. "Um, yeah, I am Micah. Thion and I had recently moved into the Sharance Tree." "Ah! I have heard about you! My name is Caitlyn, this is my daughter Karina," Caitlyn introduced, Karina lazily waved her hand. "We'll pick up any produce you put inside the shipping box; we'll sell it and give you a sum of gold for it." Micah nodded his head, "Thanks. Well, I'll be going now!" he said as he turned towards the door and left the building.

"You woke me up for a browser?"

"No, I woke you up because I see a very special customer for you..."

"…Kill me now."

Micah now walked towards the smithy, which had an oval sign imprinted with an anvil silhouette. When he walked inside, he was immediately awestruck by the impressive pieces of armor and weaponry on display. But a certain redhead ended his reverie.

"If you're not going to buy something, then get out."

"A-ah, sorry…" Micah stuttered, embarrassed at being caught off guard by Raven. She was so quiet that one would miss her presence at the counter. "I was just looking around…" "Then get out, I don't encourage browsing," the crimson haired girl coldly stated. Her eyes were strict, cold, and more brittle than ice. Micah was kind of afraid now; he now realize that Raven does not like dilly-dallying, and was strictly business. "O-okay then," he stammered, then left the shop, Raven's hostility firmly imprinted in his mind.

Micah walked out of the blacksmith's shop and headed towards another path north, just to the right of the flower shop. It led to another developed clearing, with an ancient Japanese styled building built over a small body of water, and a café by a second path leading east. He decided to visit the bathhouse and inn first, as mentioned on a sign outside. Sliding the wood door open, he walked in. Immediately, he was grabbed by a bubbly pink-haired girl with a brown cloak.

"Right this way!" she directed, pulling him towards the right.

"W-what?" Micah stammered.

"Pia! We agreed that I can have the next visitor!" said a voice to his left. An oriental teenage girl came in, chastising Pia before dragging Micah left.

"No we didn't Sakuya!" the other denied, taking back Micah. This continued for a few more minutes, and by then Micah felt like he was an object on auction.

"Both of you stop it!"

Micah looked at two more females, one looked like a twin of Pia, and the other was an older Sakuya. The Pia twin yanked him from the other girls' grasp and sternly scolded them.

"If you two keep acting like this, we may lose business!"

"B-but Cria…" both whined, but then hung their heads and apologized to Micah. Cria nodded towards Micah.

"Sorry, I think they are just hormonal, I least I have it under control."

This caused Sakuya and Pia to pop a vein in their heads.

"In control my ass! What about that guy we had to get you off of because he was divine looking?!" they shouted, and while the three girls argued, Micah took his leave and headed towards the café.

The café had several tables outside, with umbrellas covering them. A delicious smell wafted out one of the open windows, enticing Micah to head in. The café's inside was occupied by a large, portly man and a thin blonde girl munching away, as well as a blonde boy holding a platter and a black haired older man behind the counter. The seductive smell of comfort food was all over this place, giving it a nice atmosphere. The boy with the platter approached him with a smile.

"Would you like to take a seat sir?"

"No thanks, I am just introducing myself to everyone in Sharance,"

"Ah, well, I am Rusk, the other blonde is Collette, Blaise is the owner, and the portly man is Sherman"

"I am Micah. My partner, Thion, and I have taken up residence at the Sharance Tree. I hope we can become great friends and neighbors!"

"I hope so too, the tree has been unoccupied for a while, and with no one to grow mass produce, we mainly depend on exports from other towns, as well as what we grow from our meager planters. I guess we owe you one then!" Rusk laughed.

"Don't mention it; I am just happy that we have a place to stay until we figure out what to do." Micah dismissed. The blonde waiter nodded.

"Well, nice to meet you Micah, I shouldn't hold you up any longer, meet the others. I think you'll take a liking to them!"

_I'm sure I will, if they are somewhat normal…_

Micah walked out of the café later with a bemused expression. Everyone there was nice, but the only two he could consider normal were Blaise and Rusk. Sherman, the portly noble, was a confusing individual; he spoke in opposites, like "Good morning!" during the afternoon. Collette was suspicious of him; she accused him of planning to take her fast metabolism. He snorted at that; why would he need a metabolism like hers?

Shaking his head, Micah continued introducing himself around town. He was warmly welcomed by Sherman's daughters, Sofia and Elevyn. Sofia was just like her father; she talked opposites. Luckily, Elevyn did not, and translated Sofia's words for him. She also mentioned her obsession with clothing, having opened up a shop to sell her products.

"Micah, everyone is normal. Heaven, Blaise and Rusk are as far as you can get from not normal." Sofia said in her strange habit. Elevyn thankfully translated her sister's words; "What she meant to say is that barely anyone in this village is normal, and that Rusk and Blaise are as close as you can get to normal."

"Ah."

And after many encounters with a witch and her apprentice, an enthusiastic crazy artist in need of an assistant, Micah finally decided to head towards the inn for a relaxing bath, Pia happily leading the way. Inside he found Thion, who had his own little adventure to tell him.

* * *

Author's note:

Gah, again, I am SOOOOO sorry for the late update, I don't have a muse or really anything to keep me inspired, BUT NO WRITER'S BLOCK EXCUSE FO' ME! I was just plain lazy. But I'll get someone to keep me goin', in fact, I already know who to ask, just haven't gotten around to it.

Jyamata my readers! Sorry that this chapter is shorter than the others (only around 1600 words, including Author's notes, SORRY!).


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